Electrophoretic display device

ABSTRACT

In at least one embodiment of the disclosure, a display device includes a first substrate and a second substrate. A layer is located between the first substrate and the second substrate. The layer includes a first region and a second region. The first region comprises an electrophoretic display layer having electrophoretic particles. The second region is located between the first region and an edge of the first substrate and includes a contact portion. The distance between the first substrate and the second substrate corresponding to the second region is smaller than the distance between the first substrate and the second substrate corresponding to the first region.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/392,123 filed Feb. 25, 2009, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/657,929 filed Jan. 25, 2007 (now U.S. Pat. No.7,733,559), which claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No.2006-354016 filed Dec. 28, 2006, each of which is hereby incorporated byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

An aspect of the present disclosure relates to an electrophoreticdisplay sheet, an electrophoretic display device, and an electronicapparatus using electrophoretic migration in which charged particles ina medium migrate by applying a voltage to form images, in particular, anelectrophoretic display device, and an electronic apparatus enabling toavoid damage to a driving circuit by reducing stress applied to adriving substrate when an electrophoretic display sheet is attached tothe driving substrate.

2. Related Art

An electrophoretic display device (so-called EPD display device)provided with an electrophoretic element is a display device usingelectrophoretic migration in which particles dispersed in a solventmigrate by applying a voltage. As for methods for electrophoreticmigration, for example, a microcapsule type, a horizontal migrationtype, and a vertical type have been developed. EPD display devices areeasily processed and handled compared to LCDs, thereby being expected tobe used for mobile equipment and information equipment.

An electrophoretic display device is formed by attaching anelectrophoretic display sheet in which an electrophoretic element isformed on a transparent plastic substrate, and a driving substrateprovided with an element and an electrode driving the electrophoreticdisplay sheet.

Stress caused in an attaching process makes an end of an electrophoreticdisplay sheet dig into a driving substrate, and a transparent electrodeprovided on an electrophoretic display sheet comes in contact with adriving electrode, causing a short circuit or damage to a circuit of athin-film transistor. To avoid such problems, a protection sheet iscommonly formed on an end of a driving substrate to protect a drivingcircuit from an end of an electrophoretic display sheet.

However, in a method of related art, a process to attach a protectionsheet is required. In addition, a space having a certain area is neededto attach the protection sheet on a driving substrate.

Further, a protection sheet normally needs to have the thickness fromabout 50 μm to 100 μm to ensure strength as a sheet. This thickness islarger than that of a display layer of an electrophoretic capsule (from20 μm to 30 μm, for example), resulting in problems such as uplift of anelectrophoretic display sheet around the protection sheet, anddegradation of an electric characteristic.

When a soft material such as a plastic substrate is used as a rearsubstrate provided on a driving substrate to make an electrophoreticdisplay flexible, aforementioned problems become even more prominent.That is, a driving circuit is susceptible to stress because of beingformed on a plastic substrate. Therefore, a driving circuit on a plasticsubstrate is easily damaged by stress concentration when a drivingsubstrate is pressed with an end of an electrophoretic display sheet toattach thereto.

The aforementioned problem may be avoided by designing an end of atransparent substrate to be formed outside of a circuit region of adriving substrate if an end of the driving substrate is not providedwith an external connection terminal. However, in this case, unwantedpatterns such as wiring and a driving circuit are displayed on theelectrophoretic display sheet.

Further, if an end of a driving substrate is provided with an externalconnection terminal, unwanted patterns such as for wiring and a drivingcircuit are also displayed on an electrophoretic display sheet becauseof wiring communicating a circuit region on the driving substrate withthe external connection terminal.

SUMMARY

Certain embodiments of the disclosure may prevent damage to a drivingcircuit caused when an electrophoretic display sheet is attached to adriving substrate, and provide the electrophoretic display sheet and anelectrophoretic display device superior in display quality and anelectric characteristic.

An electrophoretic display device superior in display quality andelectric characteristic may be obtained by employing the electrophoreticdisplay sheet while damage to the driving circuit caused when theelectrophoretic display sheet is attached to the driving substrate isprevented. The electrophoretic display sheet may include anelectrophoretic display layer; a transparent electrode layer; atransparent substrate provided with the transparent electrode layer, thetransparent substrate being laminated on the electrophoretic displaylayer; and a stress-reducing member that reduces stress applied to thedriving substrate including a semiconductor circuit layer in a case ofattaching the electrophoretic display sheet to the driving substrate tobe laminated with the electrophoretic display layer thereon.

Certain embodiments of the disclosure may include:

1) The electrophoretic display sheet at least including theelectrophoretic display layer; the transparent electrode layer; thetransparent substrate provided with the transparent electrode layer, thetransparent substrate being laminated on the electrophoretic displaylayer; and the stress-reducing member that reduces stress applied to thedriving substrate including the semiconductor circuit layer in a case ofattaching the electrophoretic display sheet to the driving substrate tobe laminated with the electrophoretic display layer thereon2) The electrophoretic display sheet described in 1), wherein thestress-reducing member maybe an extension of an end of the transparentsubstrate extended to be further than an outer edge of the drivingsubstrate, the extension coming in contact with at least a part of anupper surface of a flexible printed circuit provided on the drivingsubstrate3) The electrophoretic display sheet described in 1), wherein thestress-reducing member may be a buffer arranged on a lower part of anend of the transparent substrate to face to the driving substrate4) The electrophoretic display sheet described in 1), wherein thestress-reducing member may be a protection sheet arranged on a lowerpart of an end of the transparent substrate, the protection sheet beingpreliminarily integrated with a flexible printed circuit provided on thedriving substrate5) The electrophoretic display sheet described in 1), wherein thetransparent substrate may be flexible while the stress-reducing membermay be a surface contact member in a lower part of an end of thetransparent substrate coming in surface contact with a surface of thedriving substrate in a case of attaching the electrophoretic displaysheet to the driving substrate6) The electrophoretic display sheet described in 5), wherein thesurface of the lower part of the end may be chamfered to be a curvedsurface7) The electrophoretic display sheet described in 6), wherein the curvedsurface may have a radius of curvature being one tenth or more of athickness of the transparent substrate8) The electrophoretic display sheet described in 6) or 7), wherein theend having the curved surface may be made of an elastic member9) The electrophoretic display sheet described in 5), wherein thesurface contact member may be a sprayed-out portion formed in the lowerpart of the end of the transparent substrate10) An electrophoretic display device at least including theelectrophoretic display sheet described in any one of 1) through 9), anda driving substrate provided with a semiconductor circuit layer and aflexible printed circuit11) An electrophoretic display device at least including theelectrophoretic display sheet described in any one of 5) through 9), adriving substrate provided with a semiconductor circuit layer and aflexible printed circuit, and a protection sheet formed on an upper partof an end of the transparent substrate coming in surface contact with asurface of the driving substrate 12) An electronic apparatus includingthe electrophoretic display device described in 10) or 11)

According to certain embodiments of the disclosure, stress on thedriving substrate caused when the electrophoretic display sheet isattached to the driving substrate may be reduced while damage to thedriving circuit is prevented, providing the electrophoretic displaysheet and the electrophoretic display device superior in display qualityand an electric characteristic.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the disclosure will be described with reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein like numbers reference like elements.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a part of an electrophoretic displaydevice 10 according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an overhead view of the electrophoretic display device 10according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a part of an electrophoretic displaydevice 11 according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 4A is a sectional view showing a part of an electrophoretic displaydevice 12 according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 4B is a diagram showing a state that a protection sheet 39, aflexible printed circuit 62, and an anisotropic conductive film 63 areintegrated before assembly according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an overhead view of the electrophoretic display device 12according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 6A is a sectional view showing a part of an electrophoretic displaydevice 13 according to a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 6B is a diagram showing a state in which a protection sheet 139,the flexible printed circuit 62, and the anisotropic conductive film 63are integrated before assembly according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a part of an electrophoretic displaydevice 10′ according to a fifth embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a part of an electrophoretic displaydevice 11′ according to a sixth embodiment.

FIGS. 9A through 9C are diagrams showing ends of transparent substratesused in a seventh embodiment through a ninth embodiment.

FIG. 10A is a diagram showing an end of a transparent substrate 131 usedin a tenth embodiment.

FIG. 10B is a sectional view showing a part of an electrophoreticdisplay device 20 in the tenth embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the disclosure will now be described. The embodimentsshown below are examples. Therefore, the embodiments are not intended tolimit the disclosure. Various patterns thereof can be performed withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Therefore, it ismanifestly intended that embodiments in accordance with the presentdisclosure be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take atleast the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the contextclearly dictates otherwise. The meanings identified below are notintended to limit the terms, but merely provide illustrative examplesfor use of the terms. The meaning of “a,” “an,” “one,” and “the” mayinclude reference to both the singular and the plural. Reference in thespecification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that aparticular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connectionwith the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of thedisclosure. The appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in anembodiment” in various places in the specification do not necessarilyall refer to the same embodiment, but it may. Several embodiments willsequentially be described under corresponding section headings below.Section headings are merely employed to improve readability, and theyare not to be construed to restrict or narrow the present disclosure.For example, the order of description headings should not necessarily beconstrued so as to imply the relative importance of an embodiment.

The embodiments of the disclosure will now be described with referenceto the accompanying drawings.

First Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a part of an electrophoretic displaydevice 10 while FIG. 2 is an overhead view of the electrophoreticdisplay device 10 according to a first embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the electrophoretic display device 10includes an electrophoretic display sheet 30 and a driving substrate 40.In certain embodiments, the electrophoretic display device 10 may beformed by laminating the electrophoretic display sheet 30 havingflexibility on the driving substrate 40 having flexibility.

The electrophoretic display sheet 30 includes an electrophoretic displaylayer 33 and a transparent substrate 31 laminated on the electrophoreticdisplay layer 33 and having a transparent electrode 32 on theundersurface thereof. The transparent substrate 31 is made of atransparent insulating binder resin such as a polyethylene terephthalate(PET) film. The transparent electrode layer 32 is an indium tin oxidefilm (ITO film) having tin doped in.

The electrophoretic display layer 33 is provided with an electrophoreticdispersion liquid encapsulated in a microcapsule made of transparentresin. The electrophoretic dispersion liquid is made by encapsulating atransparent insulation liquid, white particles positively charged, and ablack pigment negatively charged. Electrophoretic particles have aproperty to migrate in an electrophoretic dispersion liquid according tovoltage application. The thickness of the electrophoretic display layer33 is from 20 μm to 30 μm, for example.

The driving substrate 40 includes a rear substrate 44 as an insulatingbase substrate, and a semiconductor circuit layer 43, a gate wiringlayer 42, and a protective layer 41 laminated subsequently on the rearsubstrate 44.

The rear substrate 44 may be a glass substrate, or a plastic substratemade of, for example, polycarbonate or the like in the thickness of 200μm. On the rear substrate 44, a plurality of pixel electrodes 52, datalines 53, and organic semiconductors 51 are formed in the row and columndirections with an ultraviolet (UV) cure adhesive or the like, therebyforming a plurality of thin-film transistors 54. A group of the pixelelectrodes 52 arranged in a matrix forms a display area to display animage (two-dimensional information).

As the thin-film transistors 54, an organic TFT, an amorphous siliconTFT, and a poly Si TFT are used, for example.

In such a method for forming a thin-film semiconductor circuit on asubstrate, a transferring method of a thin-film circuit shown inJP-A-10-125931, JP-A-11-26733, and JP-A-2004-327836 can be used. In thetransferring method, a thin-film semiconductor circuit is formed on aheat-resistant substrate (glass substrate), and then the thin-filmsemiconductor circuit is transferred on a whole or part of a resinsubstrate.

At least one of the pixel electrodes 52 on an end part of the rearsubstrate 44 is coupled to a flexible printed circuit (FPC) 62 via anexternal connection terminal 61 and an anisotropic conductive film 63.The flexible printed circuit 62 is made of polyamide, for example.

An end of the transparent substrate 31 having a transparent electrodelayer 32 formed has an extension 35 that is extended to be further thanan outer edge of the driving substrate 40, and the extension 35 comes incontact with a part of the upper surface of the flexible printed circuit62.

In the first embodiment, the end of the transparent substrate 31 isprevented from coming in contact with the driving substrate 40 becauseof the configuration above. That is, stress on the driving substrate 40caused when the electrophoretic display sheet 30 is attached to thedriving substrate 40 is reduced, providing an electrophoretic displaysheet and an electrophoretic display device superior in display qualityand an electric characteristic.

In the above, a display device provided with a display layer in anelectrophoretic migration method of a microcapsule type is explained,however, embodiments of the disclosure are not limited to this. Forexample, a display device in an electrophoretic migration method of ahorizontal migration type, or a vertical type is also possible.

Further, in the above, a case where the extension 35 comes in contactwith a part of the upper surface of the flexible printed circuit 62 isexplained. However, the extension 35 may come in contact with a wholesurface of the flexible printed circuit 62.

Furthermore, according to the configuration above, a protection sheet isnot necessarily formed on the upper side of the end of the drivingsubstrate unlike related art.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a part of an electrophoretic displaydevice 11 according to a second embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the electrophoretic display device 11 in the secondembodiment has a buffer 37 instead of the extension 35. This is the onlydifference between the first embodiment and the second embodiment. Likenumbers refer to like parts in FIGS. 1 and 3, and the descriptionthereof is omitted here.

The buffer 37 is arranged underneath the end of the transparentsubstrate 31 provided with the transparent electrode layer 32 to face tothe driving substrate 40.

In the second embodiment, the end of the transparent substrate 31 isalso prevented from coming in contact with the driving substrate 40.That is, stress on the driving substrate 40 caused when theelectrophoretic display sheet 30 is attached to the driving substrate 40is reduced, providing an electrophoretic display sheet and anelectrophoretic display device superior in display quality and anelectric characteristic.

Third Embodiment

FIG. 4A is a sectional view showing a part of an electrophoretic displaydevice 12 in a third embodiment. FIG. 4B is a diagram showing a state inwhich a protection sheet 39, the flexible printed circuit 62, and theanisotropic conductive film 63 are integrated before assembly. FIG. 5 isan overhead view of the electrophoretic display device 12.

As shown in FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 5, the electrophoretic display device 12in the third embodiment has the protection sheet 39 instead of theextension 35. This is the only difference between the first embodimentand the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4B, an end of the protectionsheet 39 is bonded onto the flexible printed circuit 62 provided on thedriving substrate 40 to be preliminarily integrated.

As shown in FIG. 4A, by assembling a unit which is integrated as shownin FIG. 4B, the end of the protection sheet 39 is arranged between thedriving substrate 40 and the transparent substrate 31 provided with thetransparent electrode layer 32.

In the third embodiment, the end of the transparent substrate 31 is alsoprevented from coming in contact with the driving substrate 40. That is,stress on the driving substrate 40 caused when the electrophoreticdisplay sheet 30 is attached to the driving substrate 40 is reduced,providing an electrophoretic display sheet and an electrophoreticdisplay device superior in display quality and an electriccharacteristic.

Fourth Embodiment

FIG. 6A is a sectional view showing a part of an electrophoretic displaydevice 13 in a fourth embodiment. FIG. 6B is a diagram showing a statein which a protection sheet 139, the flexible printed circuit 62, andthe anisotropic conductive film 63 are integrated before assembly.

As shown in FIG. 6, the electrophoretic display device 13 in the fourthembodiment has the protection sheet 139 instead of the protection sheet39. This is the only difference between the third embodiment and thefourth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 6B, the protection sheet 139 is madeof resin that is the same as that making the flexible printed circuit 62and preliminarily integrated before forming

In the fourth embodiment, the end of the protection sheet 139 is alsoarranged between the driving substrate 40 and the transparent substrate31 having the transparent electrode layer 32 as shown in FIG. 6A.

In the fourth embodiment, the end of the transparent substrate 31 isalso prevented from coming in contact with the driving substrate 40.That is, stress on the driving substrate 40 caused when theelectrophoretic display sheet 30 is attached to the driving substrate 40is reduced, providing an electrophoretic display sheet and anelectrophoretic display device superior in display quality and anelectric characteristic.

Fifth Embodiment

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a part of an electrophoretic displaydevice 10′ according to a fifth embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 7, the electrophoretic display device 10′ includes theelectrophoretic display sheet 30 and the driving substrate 40. Incertain embodiments, the electrophoretic display sheet 30 and thedriving substrate 40 may be flexible and the electrophoretic displaydevice 10′ may be formed with the electrophoretic display sheet 30laminated on the driving substrate 40.

The electrophoretic display sheet 30 includes the electrophoreticdisplay layer 33 and the transparent substrate 31 with flexibilitylaminated on the electrophoretic display layer 33 and having atransparent electrode 32 on the undersurface thereof. The transparentsubstrate 31 is made of transparent insulating binder resin such as apolyethylene terephthalate (PET) film. The transparent electrode layer32 is an indium tin oxide film (ITO film) including tin doped in.

The electrophoretic display layer 33 is provided with an electrophoreticdispersion liquid encapsulated in a microcapsule made of transparentresin. The electrophoretic dispersion liquid is made by encapsulating atransparent insulation liquid, white particles positively charged, and ablack pigment negatively charged. Electrophoretic particles have aproperty to migrate in an electrophoretic dispersion liquid according tovoltage application. The thickness of the electrophoretic display layer33 is from 20 μm to 30 μm, for example.

The driving substrate 40 includes the rear substrate 44 as an insulatingbase substrate, and the semiconductor circuit layer 43, the gate wiringlayer 42, and the protective layer 41 laminated subsequently on the rearsubstrate 44.

The rear substrate 44 can be made of glass, or a plastic substrate suchas, for example, a polycarbonate in the thickness of 200 μm. On the rearsubstrate 44, the plurality of pixel electrodes 52, the data lines 53,and the organic semiconductors 51 are formed in the row and columndirections with an ultraviolet (UV) cure adhesive or the like, therebyforming the plurality of thin-film transistors 54. The group of pixelelectrodes 52 arranged in a matrix forms a display area to display animage (two-dimensional information).

As the thin-film transistors 54, an organic TFT, an amorphous siliconTFT, and a poly Si TFT are used, for example.

In such a method for forming a thin-film semiconductor circuit on asubstrate, a transferring method of a thin-film circuit shown inJP-A-10-125931, JP-A-11-26733, and JP-A-2004-327836 can be used. In thetransferring method, a thin-film semiconductor circuit is formed on aheat-resistant substrate (glass substrate), and then the thin-filmsemiconductor circuit is transferred on a whole or part of a resinsubstrate.

At least one of the pixel electrodes 52 on an end of the rear substrate44 is coupled to the flexible printed circuit (FPC) 62 via the externalconnection terminal 61 and the anisotropic conductive film 63. Theflexible printed circuit 62 is made of polyamide, for example.

An end 35′ of the transparent substrate 31 including the transparentelectrode layer 32 has a curved surface by being chamfered on its lowerpart. When the electrophoretic display sheet 30 is attached to thedriving substrate 40, the curved surface comes in contact with thedriving substrate 40. The transparent substrate 31 is flexible, andfurther, the lower part of the end is chamfered. Therefore, in thecontact area, a whole or part of the part having the curved surfacecomes in surface contact with an upper surface of the driving substrate.

In certain embodiments, the curved surface of the transparent substrate31 may have a radius of curvature that is one tenth or more of thethickness of the transparent substrate, and in at least one embodiment,from one third to one.

According to the configuration described above, in the fifth embodiment,the lower part of the end of the transparent substrate 31 comes insurface contact with the surface of the driving substrate 40. Therefore,stress on the driving substrate 40 caused when the electrophoreticdisplay sheet 30 is attached to the driving substrate 40 is reduced,preventing the driving circuit from being damaged or disconnected. As aresult, an electrophoretic display sheet and an electrophoretic displaydevice superior in display quality and an electric characteristic areprovided.

In the above, a display device provided with a display layer in anelectrophoretic migration method of a microcapsule type is explained,however, embodiments of the disclosure are not limited to this. Forexample, a display device in an electrophoretic migration method of ahorizontal migration type, or a vertical type is also possible.

Further, the portion to be curved may be made of an elastic member. Thiscan be formed by welding an elastomer to the lower part of the end ofthe transparent substrate 31 with heat. Having such an elastic membercan more effectively prevent a driving circuit of the driving substrate40 from being damaged or disconnected.

Sixth Embodiment

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a part of an electrophoretic displaydevice 11′ according to a sixth embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 8, the electrophoretic display device 11′ in the sixthembodiment has a protection sheet 71 provided on the upper surface ofthe end of the driving substrate 40. This is the only difference betweenthe fifth embodiment and the sixth embodiment. Like numbers refer tolike parts in FIGS. 7 and 8, and the description thereof is omittedhere.

Additionally having the protection sheet 71 can more effectively preventthe driving circuit of the driving substrate 40 from being damaged ordisconnected.

Seventh Through Ninth Embodiments

Each of FIGS. 9A through 9C shows an end of the transparent substratebefore being assembled respectively for seventh through ninthembodiments.

The only difference between the seventh through ninth embodiments andthe fifth embodiment is that transparent substrates 135, 235, and 335are respectively used in the seventh through ninth embodiments insteadof the transparent substrate 31 in the fifth embodiment. As shown inFIGS. 9A through 9C, each of the transparent substrates 135, 235, and335 has a curved surface on a lower part of its end by being chamfered.Therefore, as is the case with the fifth embodiment, when theelectrophoretic display sheet 30 is attached to the driving substrate40, the curved surface comes in surface contact with the upper surfaceof the driving substrate 40.

In the seventh through ninth embodiments, stress on the drivingsubstrate 40 caused when the electrophoretic display sheet 30 isattached to the driving substrate 40 is reduced, and damage to thedriving circuit is prevented, similarly to the fifth embodiment.

[Method for Manufacturing Transparent Substrate]

The transparent substrate having the curved surface chamfered on itslower part of the end used in the fifth through ninth embodiments may bemanufactured by various methods as follows: a) the transparent substrateis cut by a carbon dioxide laser to make the end round; b) the end ofthe transparent substrate is melted by heat application and pressed to amold to be round; c) the end of the transparent substrate is melted byheat application and rounded using surface tension; d) the end of thetransparent substrate is mechanically cut; e) after UV cure resin orthermosetting resin (two-liquid-mixed epoxy, for example) is dropped orapplied on the end of the transparent substrate and rounded by usingsurface tension followed by ultraviolet rays or heat application forcuring.

Tenth Embodiment

FIG. 10A is a diagram showing an end of a transparent substrate 131 usedin a tenth embodiment. FIG. 10B is a sectional view showing a part of anelectrophoretic display device 20 used therein.

The electrophoretic display device 20 in the tenth embodiment has thetransparent substrate 131 instead of the transparent substrate 31 in thefifth embodiment. This is the only difference between the fifthembodiment and the tenth embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 10A, a lower part of the end of the transparentsubstrate 131 having the transparent electrode layer 32 has asplayed-out portion 435. When the electrophoretic display sheet 30 isattached to the driving substrate 40, pressure shown by Arrow A isapplied onto the end of the transparent substrate 131 by a processingmember 5. This pressure is dispersed along the splayed-out portion 435as shown by Arrow B.

As shown in FIG. 10B, when the electrophoretic display sheet 30 isattached to the driving substrate 40, the splayed-out portion 435 comesin contact with the upper surface of the driving substrate 40. Since thetransparent substrate 131 is flexible, a part or whole part of thesplayed-out portion comes in surface contact with an upper surface ofthe end of the driving substrate 40 in the contact area.

In the tenth embodiment, the lower part of the end of the transparentsubstrate 131 comes in surface contact with the surface of the drivingsubstrate 40. Therefore, stress on the driving substrate 40 caused whenthe electrophoretic display sheet 30 is attached to the drivingsubstrate 40 is reduced, and damage to the driving circuit is prevented.

[Electronic Apparatus]

An electronic apparatus according to another embodiment includes theelectrophoretic display device mentioned above. An electronic apparatushere includes any apparatuses provided with a display using aelectrophoretic material such as display devices, television devices,electronic books, electronic papers, watches, electronic notebooks,calculators, mobile phones and portable information terminals. Further,although these are not categorized as apparatuses, flexible paper-likeor film-like matter, or immovables such as a wall surface having suchmatter attached, and mobile bodies such as vehicles, aircraft, andvessels are included.

Although certain embodiments have been illustrated and described herein,it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that a widevariety of alternate and/or equivalent embodiments or implementationscalculated to achieve the same purposes may be substituted for theembodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of thepresent disclosure. Those with skill in the art will readily appreciatethat embodiments in accordance with the present disclosure may beimplemented in a wide variety of ways. This disclosure is intended tocover any adaptations or variations of the embodiments discussed herein.Therefore, it is manifestly intended that embodiments in accordance withthe present disclosure be limited only by the claims and the equivalentsthereof.

1. A display device, comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate;and a layer located between the first substrate and the secondsubstrate, the layer including a first region and a second region, thefirst region comprising an electrophoretic display layer havingelectrophoretic particles, and the second region located between thefirst region and an edge of the first substrate and including a contactportion, wherein a distance between the first substrate and the secondsubstrate corresponding to the second region is smaller than a distancebetween the first substrate and the second substrate corresponding tothe first region.
 2. The display device according to claim 1, wherein atleast one of the first substrate and the second substrate is flexible.3. The display device according to claim 1, wherein the electrophoreticdisplay layer includes a plurality of microcapsules containing theelectrophoretic particles, and the first substrate comprises atransparent substrate and a transparent electrode, the transparentelectrode located between the transparent substrate and theelectrophoretic display layer and making contact with the contactportion and the plurality of microcapsules.